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Los Angeles Lakers: How the young talent fits with LeBron James

By Jacob Doole

CLEVELAND, OH - DECEMBER 14: Lonzo Ball #2 of the Los Angeles Lakers listens to LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers after the game at Quicken Loans Arena on December 14, 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers defeated the Lakers 121-112. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - DECEMBER 14: Lonzo Ball #2 of the Los Angeles Lakers listens to LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers after the game at Quicken Loans Arena on December 14, 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers defeated the Lakers 121-112. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /
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Kyle Kuzma

Kuzma was a pleasant surprise for Lakers fans last season. Drafted 27th overall in the 2017 draft, he found a role in LA and excelled, finishing the season with selection in the All-Rookie First Team.

Despite this outstanding debut, Kuzma still projects as more of a role player going forward, especially with LeBron now in town. While he flashed some elite scoring potential, he lacks any other standout skills.

Thankfully, scoring and shooting are always useful in the NBA. With the Lakers moving into win-now mode, Kuzma could be used as a spot-up shooter with the starting lineup or as a spark-plug sixth man.

He shot 36.6 percent from 3 last season, and he should have more open looks next season. From 195 wide-open attempts last year, his percentage jumped to 39.0 percent, per NBA.com.

Somewhat surprisingly, Kuzma also excelled when asked to create his own shot. He scored 1.12 points per possession, good for third among all players with at least one isolation possession per game (minimum 15 games played).

This shows that, had the Lakers continued as a youth movement, Kuzma could have potentially been a focal point. However, with the new team makeup, he should be valuable as a more secondary player.

LeBron has always elevated shooters to another level, and Kuzma should be no different. He can be a floor-spacing threat when sharing the court with The King, and serve as the focal point of the offense with the second unit.

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